Eagle Driver Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Been there about 14 months ago and somehow developed an interest in that base's history. Roaming through the web I found F-4s, Lightnings and other interesting stuff there. Any suggestions about a good book or film showing the history of the base? Someone to share something more rare in interesting about it? Thanx! Saw couple of Tornadoes arriving and then couple departing. As far as I know they should get Lightnings at some point. Not sure what's there right now. Maybe Typhoons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 I was only there on detachment with Tornado GR1 and GR4. Obviously in all my time being there i never saw any spy plane taking off or landing Never even got photos of it..... honest Loved Button Bay though. Great for swimming and chillin. Eagle Driver, Jack and Iain 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Can't help with history really, but managed to spend 15 days there in '93 (RAF 75th birthday while we were there) - one of my favourite places... We didn't see any aircraft that weren't there either Alan... I can, however, confirm the Tornado F3s (29 Sqn IIRC) on APC and 100 Sqn 'target' Hawks were also there at the time. Oh, and a nice Lightning on a plinth... And a couple of 84 Sqn Wessex helicopters. Iain Jack and Eagle Driver 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John1 Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 I have to say, it’s truly a relief that you guys didn’t see any planes that weren’t there while you were there. Unless you weren’t officially “there” in the first place. However, I’m wondering if you didn’t see any planes that didn’t exist while you were there? There is a difference you know... Iain, thierry laurent and Jack 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Driver Posted February 25, 2020 Author Share Posted February 25, 2020 I've read somewhere that BAC Lightnings did actual intercepts from there during the crisis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmo Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 I was out there in the late 80s with 231 ocu I did see TR1 / U2 go and come back from somewhere. Was a kick to watch the car chase it down the runway and put the pogos in before it could taxi back. Iain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Driver Posted February 25, 2020 Author Share Posted February 25, 2020 Were you guys inside the base or you were in close proximity at some spotting place? When I was there I saw no way to get near and saw to Tornadoes by accident and from a fair distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 Inside. When I was there security was pretty high (don't mention the local shepherd!) - it's in a pretty strategic location and one of the beaches was strafed by gunmen in small boats in 1986. The whole southern end of the Akrotiri Penninsula is fenced off/secure - it's the only RAF Station I've visited that had it's own, 'private', beaches! There's no public access/viewing area, the closest you can get is probably to the eastern end of runway 10/28 approach at Lady's Mile Beach, within the SBA. But that's just over 1km from the end of the runway. I think you can access Akrotiri village too - which is under the approach to 10... Apart from the SAR helicopters and, possibly, other things that aren't there still, there are no permanent resident RAF flying squadrons as such - aircraft are generally visiting on Armament Practice Camps, Temporary Deployments, or, in the case of the Red Arrows, winter training. But - it is a long time since I was there and only for a very short period! Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmo Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 3 hours ago, Eagle Driver said: Were you guys inside the base or you were in close proximity at some spotting place? When I was there I saw no way to get near and saw to Tornadoes by accident and from a fair distance. I was out there with 231 ocu ( Canberra training unit ) we were on the main base operating from the large main pan and single hanger. Passed through on detachments with Tonkas ( Tornado GR1 / 4 ) on our way to Ozz to fire off alarm missiles at Womerah. Iain and Eagle Driver 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 This popped up on my Facebook feed earlier today - Lightnings and Akrotiri: Iain Lothar, MikeC, Tony T and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 One of the bonuses of working on the base was getting to know the Americans stationed there. That way you could get access to the AAA bar and if you were very lucky, Moms bar. I found it a far better place to hang out drinking than the Naafi Iain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 23 hours ago, Iain said: This popped up on my Facebook feed earlier today - Lightnings and Akrotiri Not just any Lightnings, but 56 Sqn Lightnings - excellent, thanks for sharing. Iain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark M Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 i was there in 1997 with 18sqn Chinooks for 3 months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redcap1960 Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 On 2/25/2020 at 4:22 PM, Iain said: Inside. When I was there security was pretty high (don't mention the local shepherd!) - it's in a pretty strategic location and one of the beaches was strafed by gunmen in small boats in 1986. The whole southern end of the Akrotiri Penninsula is fenced off/secure - it's the only RAF Station I've visited that had it's own, 'private', beaches! There's no public access/viewing area, the closest you can get is probably to the eastern end of runway 10/28 approach at Lady's Mile Beach, within the SBA. But that's just over 1km from the end of the runway. I think you can access Akrotiri village too - which is under the approach to 10... Apart from the SAR helicopters and, possibly, other things that aren't there still, there are no permanent resident RAF flying squadrons as such - aircraft are generally visiting on Armament Practice Camps, Temporary Deployments, or, in the case of the Red Arrows, winter training. But - it is a long time since I was there and only for a very short period! Iain Iain, Close but no cigar. I was with 227 Provost Company Royal Military Police and based at Episkopi just up the road between 1985 and 1987. The attack came from the Cypriot side of the Beach fenceline. The gunmen tried shooting off the lock on the gate between the SBA element of the beach and the Cypriot side with an AK47 to access the beach and couldn't, so they shot at the families on the beach from the 'wrong' side of the fenceline. If memories serves me lots of lead and no injuries. The manufacturers of the lock saw a massive boost in their sales as a result. This was all retaliation for the US attacks on Libya around the Sirte Gulf in 86. The terrorists also shot up a civvy Landrover on the M1 Motorway between Limassol and Nicosia. The funny thing about the period was I remember patrolling Limassol and coming across 'civilians' with American accents wearing T shirts with an image of a U2 on the front and the following on the back 'If I am not here, then where the f..k am I?' Everyone new the U2's were using Akrotiri. You see them take off during in the very early morning on many a day. I was also stationed at the 'Golf balls' on Mount Troodos, the huge radar installation that officially doesn't exist but can be seen for miles and miles, for a couple of months during the Winter on ski patrol, yep they get snow in the Mountains all right. The RMP and a Lanny dossing down with the RAF Police based there. I got the gig because I was posted into Cyprus having just completed my second tour of the Arctic and could ski. One day an RAFP Corporal bursts in to our room asking to use our Lanny. On asking why, he informs us a bomb has gone between the base and the nearest village, Platres. We all headed down the 7 miles between the site and Platres and found not a peep of anything, so we touched base with the local Cypriot Police Inspector in Platres and ask what's going on, he cryptically replies "follow me" and off we head down back roads to a small car park overlooking a beauty spot. One blown up car, roof peeled back and two dead and very crispy bodies. We are then asked by said Inspector if we could be so kind as to lend them one of our Felix's based at Akrotiri (British military call-sign for Bomb Disposal Officers for non-Brits), as their only qualified operator is currently in the UK buying equipment. A few minutes after my the request by radio, we end up with a low hovering Wessex overhead and not one, not two, but three RAF ATO's turn up as there is nothing else going on. The end result was confirmation that it was bomb, half a dozen sticks of gelamex and a standard burning fuze. However, it was wasn't a terrorist attack; the car park was only half a mile from the Green Line separating the Greeks and the Turks, but it turned out to be a suicide pact between a married Cypriot National Guard Officer and his unmarried lover as the families had found out and were threatening a feud between them (the Cypriots tend to be very traditional that way). Still have the (rather gruesome) crime scene photographs I took at the scene. Strange old place is Cyprus! Iain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 Thanks for the background - I only knew what we were told - so good to have a first-hand picture! We were told that boats were involved in the beach attack - but obviously duff gen... I was there distinctly as a part-time 'civvie in uniform'! Incidents aside, did you enjoy your tour? Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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